Good Press

I got this recipe from my hairdresser, Dawn, who got it, I think, from her stepmother in Baltimore. When I worked as a newspaper food editor I published it in 2004. The original recipe had no exact measurements. The most recent time I made it, I took note of the amounts I used so I could publish the recipe here. ITALIAN MEATBALLS  1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 package onion soup mix 1/3 cup grated cheese 1 egg (2 if you use lean ground beef) 1 tablespoon dried parsley 2 cloves garlic minced 1-2 tablespoons water 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs Mix all ingredients together. Roll into 1 1/2-inch diameter balls. Fry in oil and add to sauce. OR, the way I do it, place on a baking rack on a rimmed baking sheet or in a13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. (Spray foil with cooking spray if it's going to touch the meatballs.) Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Then add to sauce. I usually serve these with spaghetti but I have served them in the sauce as a heavy hors d

It doesn't happen often that I search my own blog for one of my family's favorite dinner recipes and not found it. This one, it seems, I haven't posted. We love the flavors of this breakfast-for-dinner recipe. Rachael Ray says it's good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have taken it -- minus the eggs -- to work the next day for lunch. We especially like the addition of Manchego. If we don't have it, grated Parmesan isn't a bad substitute. I usually skip the salsa. CHILI SWEET POTATO HASH WITH FRIED EGGS & FRESH TOMATO SALSA 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan 1/2 pound bulk breakfast sausage, such as maple sausage 1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed clean, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, thinly sliced into 1/2 moons 1 large red onion thinly sliced, divided 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2/3 palm full 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/3 palm full 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 2/3 palm full Salt and pepper 3 yellow vine ri

At the risk of rushing past Thanksgiving to get right to Christmas goodies, I'm posting a gingerbread recipe. I got this from McCormick in a press kit back when I was a newspaper food editor. It comes out moist, scrumptious and flavorful. As the press materials say, "Chocolate pudding, mini chocolate chips, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice transform basic chocolate cake mix into an extraordinary flavor sensation." TRIPLE CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD  1 package (18 1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix  1 package (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding mix  4 eggs  1 tablespoon McCormick® Ginger, Ground  1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground  1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Allspice, Ground  1/2 cup sour cream  1/2 cup vegetable oil  1/2 cup molasses  1/2 cup water  1 cup miniature chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping side of bowl frequently. Beat o

  These are the easiest doughnuts I've ever made -- you could whip them up on a Sunday morning before church or, if you're really quick, on a weekday before school. My friends were passing this recipe for Betty Crocker's Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts around Facebook last fall. I baked mine in my Pampered Chef Silicone Floral Cupcake Pan . The photos didn't turn  out well enough for you to see the cool designs. BAKED PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS 2 cups Bisquick® Complete pancake & waffle mix 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) 1 tablespoon real maple or maple-flavored syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter, melted Heat oven to 425°F. Spray mini do

Growing up, the only way I ever ate pork chips was breaded with Shake 'n Bake. Now that I cook for a family, I'm happy I've learned three other, better ways to prepare pork chops: breaded with a maple-Dijon mustard sauce and in a Crock-Pot with a ranch-chicken gravy . I found this breaded pork chop recipe more than 10 years ago when I was perfecting my home-cooking. I've said before I've learned a lot from Cook's Country magazine. That's where I got this recipe. And for the past few years, I had misplaced my copy of the magazine with this recipe in it. I found it! And before I lose it again, I'm blogging it. Preserving my favorite recipes somewhere I can easily access them is a main reason why I blog. I couldn't find Melba toast the first time I made this so I substituted just-as-crunchy-but-more-flavorful garlic bagel chips. You can cut back on the garlic powder if you make this substitution. QUICK AND CRUNCHY PORK CHOPS 1 (5-ounce) box

For a delicious change of pace at dinnertime in the spring, I tried this Barbecued Salmon from Taste of Home's Country Woman magazine. The salty, meaty salmon is dressed with a barbecue sauce flavored by lime, garlic and chili. If you have most of the ingredients in your pantry (rice wine vinegar, chili sauce), this can be an economical dish -- especially if you buy frozen salmon fillets. BARBECUED SALMON 2/3 cup barbecue sauce 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons garlic chili sauce (or add a minced garlic clove to regular chili sauce) 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 teaspoon soy sauce 4 salmon fillets 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (can omit) In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; set aside 1/4 cup for serving. To grill: Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack. Grill salmon, covered, over hot heat -- or broil 3-4 in. from the heat, as I di

Looking for just the right peanut sauce to combine with stir-fry, I tried this recipe. I almost overlooked it because it was in Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious magazine, and sometimes "simple" means high-calorie convenience products. But this recipe is surprisingly light and also satisfying. My 10-year-old requests it. I like it as much for the taste as the nearest Thai restaurant is an hour away and not an expense we can afford all the time. This gives us the flavors we crave at a fraction of the cost and calories of dining out. It's also quick to prepare on a busy night. THAI CHICKEN STIR-FRY 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 16-ounce package frozen stir-fry vegetable blend, thawed 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter  2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons garlic powder (sometimes I use a clove or 2 of real garlic added with the vegetables) 1/4 teasp

I love magazines. It’s a shame so many are becoming an all-digital format. Since I was a child I’ve loved to get a magazine in the mailbox, curl up with it somewhere in the house and read it cover to cover. I learned to cook from Cook’s Country and many of my favorite recipes come from Woman’s Day and the Taste of Home stable of Healthy Cooking , Country Woman and more. I’ve been known to spot a must-try recipe on a magazine cover in the supermarket checkout line and snatch it up. My aunt Laura long ago subscribed me to those Betty Crocker and Pillsbury recipe booklets sold by the checkout. I have tons of those booklets in my kitchen and I’m always excited to get one in the mail. Many times they contain a winner (no, really, a contest-winning recipe) that I have to make over and over again. This recipe for Butterscotch Blondies doesn’t claim to have won a prize but it gets a blue ribbon from me and everyone I’ve served it to over the late summer and fall. I’ve

It was the photo of Praline Apple Bread in Betty Crocker’s Fall Baking recipe booklet that made me want to make it and eat it. Creamy caramel glaze overflows the top of a brown loaf studded with pecans. I read the recipe and was instantly suspicious of the glaze -- it seemed like too few ingredients. But I proceeded, wanting to give the recipe a fair trial. I melted the stick of butter and stirred in the ½ cup of brown sugar and boiled it for a minute. The glaze was still separated, with the sugar clumping in globs. I decided to go my own way and make a quick caramel frosting I’ve made before that I knew would be creamy and look like the photo. I stirred in ¼ cup of milk and about 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, which is all I had. You really need to use more powdered sugar than that. I poured the glaze over the bread and it ran down the sides to puddle under the cooling rack on the baking sheet. That was OK. What pooled on top the bread around the pecans formed a crunchy topping t

My 10-year-old was selected for a 5-state research study at West Virginia University called iCook 4-H. It's a program studying healthy weight in children with the goal of promoting healthy families by getting youth and parents to cook, play and eat together. iCook will promote cooking skills and family meals in an attempt to prevent obesity. We've been attending cooking classes and setting goals for healthy eating, physical activity and family time. And we've been making videos of some of the foods we've made and games we've played at home. We share them on a special website set up for people in the study in Maine, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia. Tonight Arabella achieved her goal of making a complete meal by herself. I stood by to help with hot pans, and filmed segments of her meal prep. She had minimal assistance from Mom and Dad, who helped roll apple dumpling dough. She planned the menu while following the USDA's MyPlate guid

I modified this recipe for Philly Cheesesteak Peppers by Peace Love and Low Carb , a site worth visiting if only to see the bacon in its logo. Awesome. This is a quick-ish dinner and really quick if you make it the Peace Love and Low Carb way. I didn't because I don't like to use deli meat and it calls for deli roast beef. My way is almost as easy. I bought a small package of round steak, put it in the Crock-Pot with some Montreal Steak Seasoning and a splash of beef stock and let it cook on low all day. When I was ready to make dinner, I chopped the meat and followed the other directions. PHILLY CHEESESTEAK STUFFED PEPPERS A pound or less round steak (can use 8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef instead) 8 slices provolone cheese 1 large green bell peppers per person (so 2-4) 1 medium sweet onion, sliced 6 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic, minced Salt and pepper, to taste